DALLAS – In the final regular season game against the Dallas Wings this season, the Indiana Fever were defeated 95-91 in its second overtime game of the season. The 91 points were the third most points the Fever have scored this season. Rookie guard Lexie Hull scored a career-high for the second time in the last two games, leading the team in scoring with 17 points to go along with three rebounds.
The first quarter started well for the Fever on both ends of the floor. Indiana held Dallas without a field goal for the first 5:06 of the game and ultimately allowed only three field goals in the quarter. Offensively, Indiana ended the quarter on a 14-3 run and scored 30 points — the most scored in a first quarter this season. Dallas remained close after the opening quarter shooting 13-of-15 from the free throw line in the first quarter alone.
The second quarter began with a 6-1 run by Indiana to increase the lead to 15 after the first 2:08. Indiana would lead by as much as 20 points in the quarter and led 50-38 at halftime. Wings forward Kayla Thornton kept Dallas competitive, hitting all three of her shot attempts in the first half while the rest of the team shot 5-of-22. Thornton ended the game leading all scorers and tying her career-high with 21 points. Hull and rookie forward NaLyssa Smith led the Fever in scoring at the half with 11 points each.
Returning from halftime, the Wings began to chip away at the Fever lead. Dallas outscored Indiana 25-18 in the quarter and trailed by only five points heading into the fourth quarter. Dallas guard Arike Ogunbowale, who only had four points in the first half, scored eight in the quarter.
In the fourth, injuries on both teams interrupted what was a back-and-forth quarter. At the 7:16 mark, Ogunbowale had to be helped off the court and the after sustaining a hip injury and finished the game with 12 points. It wouldn’t take long before Dallas tied the game and took its first lead of the game at the 5:53 mark. Then with 1:45 left, Fever guard Danielle Robinson left the game and did not return with a left shoulder injury. She finished the game with 15 points and eight assists — her 10th game this season scoring in double figures.
The game continued to go back and forth after Robinson’s injury, which resulted in the game going into overtime after a game-tying bucket from rookie guard Destanni Henderson with 24.8 seconds left.
Tied at 83, Indiana struck first with three free throws by Hull after getting fouled on a three-point shot attempt. From there, Dallas guard Marina Mabrey and center Teaira McCowan led the Wings on a 12-5 run to end the game.
Six Fever players in total scored in double figures for the first time since August 20 last season in a win at the Dallas Wings. Behind Hull’s 17 points, Henderson finished with 16 points and a career-high six assists. Next to Robinson’s 15 points was guard Victoria Vivians with 12 points, and both Smith and forward Emma Cannon ending with 11 points. Indiana outscored Dallas in the paint 24-4 in the first half, but allowed Dallas to score 28 points in the paint in the second half and overtime.
Dallas also had six players reach double-digit scoring. In addition to Thornton and Ogunbowale, Mabrey finished the game with 18 points and McCowan had her ninth double-double this season with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Allisha Gray added 13 points and forward Isabelle Harrison pitched in 10 points off the bench. Dallas attempted a franchise record 45 free throws — 16 more than Indiana and outscored the Fever 34-23 from the charity stripe.
UP NEXT
The Fever will host the Washington Mystics on Friday at 7 p.m. ET for the final home regular season game at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Friday’s game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Indiana and will not be streamed on the official Indiana Fever Facebook page.